Scottish Government Pulls Highlands Bus Ad After Image Revealed to Be Chinese Reserve
The Scottish government has been forced to withdraw an image from an advertising campaign promoting cheap bus travel across the Scottish Highlands and Islands after it was discovered that the photograph actually appears to depict a nature reserve in China, thousands of miles away. The embarrassing incident has sparked criticism from local tourism groups, who have labelled the blunder as "shameless" and called for accountability.
Campaign Goes Viral for Wrong Reasons
Images from the pilot campaign, which advertised a £2 bus fare cap across all Highlands and islands routes starting from 23 March, quickly went viral on social media platforms. However, the attention was not for the intended promotional message. Instead, eagle-eyed users noticed distinctive features in the pictures, such as green road barriers, that are not present in Scotland. Members of the public suggested the scenery closely resembled the mountainous terrain of the Changbaishan National Nature Reserve, located along the border between China and South Korea.
The advertisements had been distributed across various social media channels and transport websites, including those of major operators Stagecoach and Citylink. Following the revelation, Transport Scotland confirmed that all incorrect images have been removed from these communications.
Highland Tourism Group Slams "Shameless" Blame Game
Highland Tourism, a community-focused organisation that aims to leverage tourism for social benefit, has strongly criticised the response from authorities. Willie Cameron, director of Highland Tourism, told BBC Scotland that blaming an external marketing agency was "shameless" and insisted that serious questions must be asked about how the error occurred.
"Blaming a marketing agency is shameless," Cameron stated. "The responsibility goes back to whoever sent the brief across, when the campaign was ready to go out and being signed off. Why did nobody in the marketing team at Transport Scotland ask where the picture was taken?"
He emphasised that the Scottish Highlands are home to incredible photographers and professionals who could have provided accurate, locally-sourced images for the campaign. "They should keep this work local and questions need to be asked about how this was approved," Cameron added, arguing that the mistake should never have been signed off in the first place.
Transport Scotland Responds to the Controversy
In response to the growing outcry, a Transport Scotland spokesperson told the BBC that the agency had "clearly" specified that all images used in the campaign must be correct, accurately reflecting the local area being promoted and the type of vehicles in use. The spokesperson explained that an incorrect image was provided by the external marketing agency contracted for the project.
"An incorrect image was then provided by the marketing agency," the spokesperson said. "The image has been removed from partner communications packs and will be withdrawn from any ongoing distributions."
The incident has highlighted concerns over oversight and quality control in government advertising campaigns, particularly those promoting regional tourism. As the images are now being withdrawn, the focus shifts to how such errors can be prevented in the future and whether local talent will be prioritised for similar initiatives.
